A study carried out by the University of Reading and DuPont Nutrition & Health has identified that daily supplementation with Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 may help improve immune function in the elderly. Daily supplementation with bacteria strain Bi-07 for three weeks was seen to improve levels and phagocytic activity of white blood cells, known as monocytes and granulocytes.

Bi-07 has been shown to increase white blood cell activity which plays a vital role in immune function

The double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial involved 37 elderly volunteers, divided into four trial groups. The four groups took different supplements, a maltodextrin placebo (8 g/day), a prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) at 8g/day, a probiotic Bi-07 (109 units/day), and a synbiotic GOS combined with probiotic Bi-07 (8g/day and 109 units/day). The groups took the supplements for a total of 21 days, with a 28 day wash-out period and blood, saliva and faecal samples were taken from the study subjects to analyse markers of immune function and microbiota composition.

The results were very interesting and demonstrated that supplementation with Bi-07 probiotic bacteria significantly improved phagocytic activity of monocytes and granulocytes (white blood cells) in healthy elderly adults. Supplementation with GOS or with the synbiotic combination of GOS and Bi-07 did not have an impact on any of the parameters that were measured. It was also positive to note that supplementing with the Bi-07 probiotic bacteria did not increase inflammation in the elderly.

Dr Lehtinen states, “Phagocytosis, by which immune cells ‘eat’ bacteria or infected cells, is one of the mechanisms that help to resist infections. Results of this study show that the probiotic Bi-07 may provide health benefits to elderly individuals by increasing the activity of phagocytic cells.”

We are very pleased the benefits of the bacteria strains in OptiBac Probiotics 'For every day EXTRA Strength' have further been identified in this study. These results could be of particular benefit to those elderly adults with a higher susceptibility to infections in helping to support their immunity. There are 5 billion Bi-07 live cultures found in each capsule of'For every day EXTRA Strength'.

'For every day EXTRA Strength' contains 5 billion Bi-07, found to support immune function in the elderly